Cinfăes

Set at the foothill of the Montemuro mountains (with peaks rising over 1000 metres, or 3300 feet) and just above the river Douro, the town of Cinfăes is surrounded by a verdant landscape and is the agricultural centre of a region producing namely corn, wine and oranges.

It is worth visiting the Mother Church of Saint John the Baptist (17th-century, Baroque style) and admiring the panoramic view over the town and the Douro at the Calvário Belvedere.

Across the county there are equally magnificent views over the river and its terraced banks, namely near the Carrapatelo Dam.

In contrast with the bucolic landscape of the Douro valley, the Montemuro mountains are sometimes considered the most unknown of Portugal, remote and wild and with typical villages, such as Gralheira, which still preserves traditional thatched houses.

About 16 kilometres (10 miles) west of the town of Cinfăes, the 12th-century church of Santa Maria Maior at Tarouquela exhibits Romanesque columns flanking the portal and a 14th-century Gothic mausoleum beside the chancel.

The region's gastronomy includes typical dishes such as sopa seca ŕ moda do Minho («dry soup» with wheat bread, chicken, beef, ham, sausages and cabages) and esparregado de feijăo verde (a kind of purée of haricots spiced with vinegar).